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Reading the “Port Huron Statement” | A Primary Source Close Read w/ BRI

Description

While Americans today might have a rosy view of the 60s, not everyone living during that time saw it that way. On issues ranging from the Cold War to civil rights, a group of students called “the Students for a Democratic Society” offered their critique of society at large on June 15, 1962. In this video, Kirk Higgins and Joshua Schmid explore the topics addressed in the “Port Huron Statement.” What were the primary concerns that the “New Left” thought America could improve on? Do these criticisms still hold true today and if so how?

Related Resources

Students for a Democratic Society, “Port Huron Statement,” 1962

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

A Primary Source Close Reads Video Playlist

Primary Source Close Reading with BRI investigates some of the most pivotal speeches and documents that made America. In this series, join BRI staff Kirk Higgins and guests as they dissect how seminal documents, court cases, and speeches forged America’s development and impact our lives today.

America’s Transition to a Global Economy: 1960s-1990s (AP U.S. History Exam Study Guide)

Welcome to the Bill of Rights Institute's AP Prep Series. In this series, Professor Brian Domitrovic, is here to help you go into the exam well prepared! In this episode, he outlines Mercantilism, Colonial America and international competition over the new world after Columbus's discovery of the new world.

1960s: Songs for a Generation

In the final episode of season one, Mary, Gary, and Eryn travel back in time to the 1960s and listen to some of the most iconic songs from the period. They'll discuss how music and protest influenced each other during these pivotal years in American history, and how those involved in social change use music to convey their messages. What about this music made it so powerful back then and continues to inspire people today?